A new year is already upon us. Crazy tales of holiday madness abound, and students begin to settle into the new semester along with new class schedules and a new year.
Just about anyone can plan for a great new year, but many need direction, support and surefire confidence boosters to accomplish their goals.
This help can come from various sources. Heroes, politicians and humanitarians with their own television shows may offer guidance.
But believe it or not, the best advice sometimes can come from sizzling hot crossover Latin pop stars from the early ’90s.
Before there was Ricky, Enrique or Marc Anthony there was Gerardo, whose “apparencia es mucho dura.” Yeeah.
Maybe you used to have a slight crush on the man whose red bandana and boyish good looks lit up the lives of pre-pubescent girls all over the world in the early ’90s. Just the sight of him melted the elastic in even my grandmother’s underwear.
Although he is best known for the jaw-dropping bilingual rapping abilities that he so aptly demonstrated with the success of his single “Rico Suave” in 1991, Gerardo Mejia is much more than all of the hype.
This “vato loco” with his rippling biceps, unmistakably perky nipples, tighter-than-legal, powder-wash jeans and long flowing mane can aid students in entering a new semester and new year.
Though many ETSU students know him better as “Rico Suave,” rather than Gerardo Mejia, they nonetheless have not forgotten how incredible 1991 was and how the pelvic gyrations of this Latin lover extraordinaire certainly added to the excitement of the time.
It is evident that Mejia went through difficult periods as other one-hit wonders have.
Periods of self-doubt, alcoholism and rampant promiscuity oftentimes plagued the lives of such VH1 Behind the Music characters.
“Rico has been up and down. He knows what hard times have been like. Therefore, he would have good advice to give,” said Geoff Pratt, sophomore.
Assuming that this beefcake Ecuadorian truly loves the students of ETSU, he would surely have much deep wisdom to share with them concerning the start of a new semester and a new year as well.
According to Davis Smith, assistant director of the counseling center, the beginning of each semester is a transition time.
“There are concerns about adjusting and getting back into the swing of things,” said Smith. “After the break, being with families has stirred things up, and some students, especially freshmen, have adjustment problems because of conflicts with their parents about their new college freedom.”
Smith feels that at the beginning of the new year, people often try to make changes in themselves and in their situations after they’ve reflected back at the mind-boggling 365 days gone by.
“People look at the past year and then the future and try to make changes in the way their lives are going,” Smith said.
Having problems adjusting to the various changes that the new year can bring? Perhaps it would be beneficial to ask yourself the question, “What would Rico Suave do?”
Weigh the outcomes of decisions and come to conclusions.
Or simply pay close attention to Gerardo Mejia’s would be tips for making Spring 2003 absolutely spectacular.
Presuming … assuming … hypothetically speaking, of course.
For the brand new semester that closely follows the brand new year, discover stylish clothes that work for you. In this case, by “stylish clothes” Gerardo would mean anything that shows as much skin as possible without being arrested.
When his career finally took off, Rico Suave simply gave up on even wearing shirts at all. I guess his logic must have been, “It’s like, I have these really great nipples. Why should I hide them from the rest of the world?” This attitude can be beneficial to even the most conservatively dressed college student on campus.
Winter can be hard on people and they also become a little more down and blue, so more people are struggling with depression around this time of year.
To combat depression, Rico would most likely suggest dancing in tight jeans and cowboy boots with hair extensions like he did in his popular music videos.
Surrounding yourself with scantily clad “mujeres” doesn’t hurt either. Shake that bon bon, come on get happy.
For the new semester, discover the magic of self-acceptance and love yourself again.
Insisting that exhibitionism is the first step to truly feeling self-worth, Rico would insist that those with low self-esteem begin tantalizing peers, coworkers and complete strangers by leaving their barn door undone like he did numerous times while onstage to gain a greater female following, which resulted in his single reaching No. 7 on the U.S. charts.
Who would think a man nicknamed “Rico Suave,” could have so much love and tendernss to give. That goes to show ‘there’s more to being a Latin lover.’

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